Method and apparatus for active control of golf club impact

Abstract

A method and apparatus for actively controlling the impact between a club head and a golf ball. A golf club head has a face with an actuator material or device mechanically coupled to influence face motion. The face actuation controls impact parameters, impact properties, or resulting ball parameters such as speed, direction and spin rates resulting from the impact event between the face of the club and the golf ball. Further, the apparatus has a control device for determining the actuation of the face. Several embodiments are presented for controlling parameters such as ball speed and direction. The invention can use energy derived from the ball impact, converted into electrical energy, and then reapplied in a controlled fashion to influence an aspect of the face, such as position, velocity, deformation, stiffness, vibration, motion, temperature, or other physical parameter.

1 . A golf club head having a hitting surface for impacting a golf ball; the head comprising:
 a transducer for converting mechanical energy from said surface during a golf ball impact event to electrical energy;   a circuit coupled to said transducer for selectively generating a triggering signal responsive to said electrical energy; and   an actuator mechanically coupled to said hitting surface and actuated responsive to said triggering signal, said actuator mechanically altering said hitting surface and thereby altering golf ball impact in adaptively controlled manner during said impact event in response to said electrical energy.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head recited in  claim 1  wherein at least one of said transducer and said actuator comprises a piezoelectric element. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head recited in  claim 2  wherein said piezoelectric element is affixed to said hitting surface. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head recited in  claim 3  wherein said piezoelectric element is coupled to said hitting surface. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head recited in  claim 3  wherein said piezoelectric element is interconnected to said hitting surface by an intermediate member. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head recited in  claim 3  wherein said piezoelectric element is braced against said hitting surface. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head recited in  claim 1  further comprising a support structure within said head, said support structure maintaining firm contact between said hitting surface and said actuator. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head recited in  claim 3  further comprising a support structure within said head, said support structure maintaining firm contact between said hitting surface and said piezoelectric element. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head recited in  claim 7  wherein said support structure comprises a conically shaped housing. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club head recited in  claim 8  wherein said support structure comprises a conically shaped housing. 
     
     
         11 . The golf club head recited in  claim 1  wherein said actuator is configured to cause said hitting surface to vibrate at a selected frequency while said golf ball is being impacted by said hitting surface. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club head recited in  claim 1  wherein said actuator is configured to cause said hitting surface to vibrate at an ultra-sonic frequency. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head recited in  claim 1  wherein said actuator is configured to cause said hitting surface to vibrate at a frequency and with an amplitude sufficient to interrupt contact between said hitting surface and said golf ball. 
     
     
         14 . The golf club head recited in  claim 1  wherein said circuit comprises a reactive impedance for storing said electrical energy 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head recited in  claim 1  wherein said circuit comprises a reactance for storing said electrical energy. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club head recited in  claim 1  wherein said circuit comprises an inductor for storing said electrical energy. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club head recited in  claim 1  wherein said circuit comprises an inductor and a capacitor for storing said electrical energy. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club head recited in  claim 1  wherein said circuit comprises a switch for selectively applying said electrical energy in response to a threshold parameter of said hitting surface impacting said golf ball. 
     
     
         19 . The golf club head recited in  claim 18  wherein said parameter is the magnitude of an electrical voltage produced by said transducer in response to said impacting. 
     
     
         20 . A method of reducing the effective coefficient of friction between the face of a golf club head and a golf ball; the method comprising the steps of:
 establishing a transducer in said golf club head; and,   automatically actuating said transducer to convert the energy upon ball impact with said face during an impact event into an electro-mechanically actuated ultra-sonic vibration of said face to thereby mechanically alter said face for the interaction of said face and said ball in adaptively controlled manner during said impact event.   
     
     
         21 . The method recited in  claim 20  wherein said converting step comprises the steps of:
 converting said ball impact energy into electrical energy; and   converting said electrical energy into said ultra-sonic vibration.   
     
     
         22 . The method recited in  claim 21  wherein said converting steps are each carried out using a piezoelectric element mechanically coupled to said face. 
     
     
         23 . A golf club head comprising:
 a hitting surface; and,   a variable stiffening element coupled to said hitting surface for automatic electro-mechanical actuation, said variable stiffening element selectively increasing and decreasing the stiffness of said hitting surface of said head in adaptively controlled manner during an impact event responsive to impact with a ball during said impact event.   
     
     
         24 . The golf club head recited in  claim 23  wherein said stiffening element comprises a piezoelectric element having a first level of stiffness when a short circuit configuration is generated thereacross and a second level of stiffness when a open circuit configuration is generated thereacross. 
     
     
         25 . The golf club head recited in  claim 24  wherein the configuration of said piezoelectric element is determined by a switch controlled by a sensor responsive to the level of impact of said golf club head with a golf ball.